


Blind attention

by Piggers00



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Abusive Dursley Family, Bad Dumbledore, Blind Harry Potter, Gen, Good Severus Snape, Manipulative Albus Dumbledore, Mention of abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-13
Updated: 2018-01-25
Packaged: 2019-03-04 02:16:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13354386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Piggers00/pseuds/Piggers00
Summary: Harry as been blind since he was 10 and has only been out of the house to the visit the park when his relatives aren't home. How will he survive Hogwarts when all the odds are stacked against him? Will the school provide him a safe haven away from the Dursleys or will there still be people out there trying to hurt him?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic and wanted to see how everyone reacts to it. Please comment below for suggestions or pointer please.

            “Severus, there you are. I have been looking for you everywhere,” Albus approached in his bright purple robes, never dropping his grandfatherly smile at scowl the potions teacher was giving him.

            Severus liked to believe he was observant, with the headmaster only speaking to him when necessary, he reasoned the headmaster wanted something of him. “What may I help you with, Albus?” Still scowling, he knew if he didn't just get whatever Albus wanted over with, he would never get back to brewing his potions. The school year had just started, and he needed to refill the hospital wing. The dour man continued to wait for the headmaster until finally he came to a stop, not four feet from the professor.

            “Harry potter has just sent an owl saying he was unable to board the train. I need you to go pick him up from his relatives’ home.”

            Severus’ face darkened at the mention of the Potter boy. “What, so he thinks he too special to ride the train like everyone else, that he just wants special treatment because he's the boy-who-lived?” He practically growled the last part. The boy was probably just like his father, too up in the clouds with his ego and always wanting to be the center of attention. He thought the spoiled brat should just stay where he was and not even bother to come to Hogwarts if he didn’t want to board the train with the other students.

            Smile never wavering, Albus continued to speak,” Come on now, Severus, my boy. I just need you to go pick him up. In the letter he wrote there was something holding him back from coming on the train. I bet there was a reasonable excuse for it.” Hoping that the man would do as he asked, the headmaster added a little more twinkle to his eyes.

            “Why can't Minerva do it, he will just end up in her house anyway? I am also too busy right now to do so.”

            “I sent Minerva right now on an errand for me, she'll be busy for quite a while.”

            Severus plaintively relented and after taking the letter with the address from the man, turned around and stalked off, robes bellowing behind him.

 

            Harry could hear movement around the house, knowing that his relatives would be getting ready for the day. He continued to stay lying down on the floor of his cupboard, hoping they will be gone soon so he could leave the small room. The room barely held his small frame, on most nights he would have to lay in a fetal position to fit semi-comfortably. Finally, after what Harry would guess an hour, he heard three sets of feet shuffling towards the front door. He could hear his aunts high-pitched voice ring through the house, warning him of stealing any food or dirtying the house.

            After being sure that the car was gone, Harry crawled to his knees, feeling around with his hands for the door and pushing it open. He knew after the letter came for him, that his relatives would be harsher, no one ever saw him or knew about him. His uncle Vernon beat him more than usual afterwards, his back ended up blooded and shredded, not helping that he was then thrown back into his cupboard. They now gave him food every other day, hiding it when they were gone so he wouldn’t be able to find it easily. Harry didn’t even know what the letter said, only that him and the other ‘freaks’ were to pay.  

            It took weeks for Harry to sneak out and find someone to read him the letter, so he could have some answers. He found a woman at the park not far from his house, she was a nice lady. The woman, Arabella Figgs’, read the letter to him, never laughed or thinking it was a prank. He didn’t know what she thought of the letter, but he knew it to be true. He knew that the strange things that his relatives didn’t like made him special, his aunt would never like it and always told his uncle about it. Beatings became regular after he ended up on the schools’ roof, it wasn't until he was 10 that they became less frequent. Harry was ecstatic with the name he could put to his specialness, wizard. Hogwarts sounded like a dream come true to him, getting away from his family was an extra bonus.

            After finding the owl who sent the original letter, Harry quickly scribbled a reply, hoping that the words were legible enough to read.  It was only until the day before the train would come that his uncle came home angry about some promotion going to another man, and beat him more than normal. It had prevented him from sneaking out of the house to board the train. He knew that he would need the supplies listed, but he had hoped that the professors would help him gather them when he got there.

            For the rest of the day, Harry felt depressed that he would not be able to go to Hogwarts and away from his blasted relatives. Stretching his legs and walking to the backyard, he hoped to get some sun before his relatives got home. His mind was void of thought as he laid on the slightly damp grass and just listened to the sounds around him. It wasn’t until he heard an owl hooting that it occurred to him that he could still go to Hogwarts if he wrote a letter for someone to come get him. Quickly heading inside to find some scrap paper and pencil, Harry forgot about the step up on the backdoor and feel to his knees. Not one to waste time, he hurried to his feet and rushed to the kitchen. After finding the materials in a drawer, he began to scribble down a quick, vague explanation on his absence. Once down he rushed to where he last remembered the owl to be.

            Quickly finding him in the backyards tree, Harry whistled and reached out his arm for the owl to land on. “Can you take this to Hogwarts for me, it is very important that you give it to the headmaster or one of the professors,” his voice small but to the point. The owl grabbed the paper with his talons and nipped at his fingers before taking off. The days stress rushes from his body and he slumps to the ground, only to hear his uncles’ car pulling into the driveway. Adrenaline rushes through his body as he surely but quietly enters the house and back into his cupboard. Heart in his throat, Harry only hopes they didn’t find out he was outside.

 

            He was on his way to the gates of the school to apparate to the known address of one Harry Potter. He still couldn’t believe that Dumbledore was sending him to pick up the boy whose father tormented him in school. Almost to the gates, Severus finally looks down at the scrap paper of a letter the brat sent with his address on it. The write was atrocious, words looked as though they were thrown on top of each other. The boy probably thought that he was going to have it easy at school and that work would not apply to him, if his handwriting was as it was.  At the gates, Severus put the letter away and disapparated from the schools’ soil.

            Appearing on the street of privet drive, the potions teacher quickly made his way to house number four. He was disgusted with the overly average looking homes, every one of them the same no matter how many he passed. The worst was the house of Harry Potter, it screamed ‘we are normal, see?’. The perfectly cut lawn, looking as if a ruler was used to measure it, and the perfectly weeded flower beds followed greasy man to the door. Wanting to quickly get the brat and leave, he knocked a sturdy three knocks.

 


	2. Chapter 2

        What Petunia Dursley was not expecting when she opened her front door was to find her little sisters’ childhood friend. He looked almost the same, but aging had defined some of his characteristics; hair greasier than as a teenager and hooked nose much more pronounced with his baby fat gone from his face. She had hoped to never see the man again, she didn’t even see him when she begrudged went to lily’s wedding.

        “What does your kind want now?” She knew she was being rude, but she believed anyone who was from her sisters’ world were freaks. She could see the shock appear on his face when he caught sight of her, but only lasting few seconds.

        “Tuney?” His voice strained, only noticeable to trained ears. “So, you raised the Potter spawn I see. May I come in?”

        His question caught her off guard, thinking the man was out of his mind if she was going to allow him in her house with her poor duddy-kins home. But before she could respond he was pushing his way through the jarred door and walking through the hall way. Shutting the door behind her, she turned to see him observing the pictures on her wall of her family. She didn’t consider the boy to be family, he was only here because the headmaster wouldn’t take no for an answer.

        Severus’ voice caught her attention from her thoughts, “I am here for the brat and to bring him to Hogwarts for schooling. He should have boarded the train this morning but- “

        She cut him off, not liking where this was going. She made the perfect life for herself away from all the freaks, she just wanted to be normal, average, decent. The world didn’t think so. “When you got no response, I would have thought that that would have been taken as a no. The boy ain’t going, he’s going to stay here away from your lot, where he can be as close to normal as possible. I won’t let him be taken.” Her little rant of denial had taken the breath out of her as to show how fast she was speaking.

        Severus merely raised an eyebrow at her word vomit and responded, “There was a response given. It may not have been the most legible, but it was accepted. So where is the spoiled brat with his school belonging?” Impatience bleed through his words as if they were rain steadily getting heavier.

        Petunia was shocked on how the man addressed the boy, ‘ _ He must not know. That headmaster must not have told him. _ ’ Her thoughts were then interrupted again with a harsh grunt indicating that her husband, Vernon, had heard the last bit of their conversation.

        “What do you mean there was an acceptance response? We have sent no response, only burning the damn letter after having it sit in a drawer for a month. Why would we- “Petunia could see he was working himself up, his skin almost a puce color and muscles in his face drawing tight. It wasn’t until you could almost see smoke coming out of his ears that he continued. “BOY?!”

        The bellow was enough to startle her into the wizard and for him to make a disgusted face as a result.  She knew everything was going downhill, and she was right when she felt him stiffen when he saw the small, hunched over child come out from his room. She knew the instant the boys’ eyes were seen that there was going to be a lot of trouble.

        She was proven right again, not a second later Severus had his wand out shooting her husband first with a colored light that made him fall. She tried to beg him to stop, but the freak only shot her too. Petunia fell to the floor unable to move or speak and only able to listen as the professor stooped up to the child.

        “Child?” his question was laced with uncertainty that she had never heard from the man, not even when they were both children. She could see him bent at the knees and trying to slowly approach her nephew. “I am guessing you are Mr. Potter, then,” it was more of a statement than a question, but it brought his wide green eyes from the ground and nod.

        She had no idea what to do now. Dumbly-something wanted the boy to be treated badly and that’s what they did, but now this new person had come in and changed everything. She didn’t know if the headmaster was now going to take the monthly payment away or if he’s going to go through with one of his threats against her baby boy. Really, they didn’t need the threats to treat the boy badly to do it, they were more than willing to beat the freak out of him. Their kind wasn’t welcome in her home.

        She must have been in too deep of thought because all she could hear now is Vernon’s’ heavy breathing and the robed man saying,

        “Come along. Mr. Potter. We have places to go so we can get you your Hogwarts things.”

        It wasn’t until the freaks walked past her and she heard the door shut that she wondered how long they were going to be like this and wondering what the reparations were going to be.

        The uneventful reunion to one of his first bullies was not what he planned to go through. What he really didn’t want to go through was the conversation of that said bully making false denials over the brats’ acceptance. Really, he would have thought she would have grown more sense over the passing years, but he knew not everyone could be competent. It wasn’t until her equally ugly husband showed up to deny the letter, too, that he began to process everything.

        When he first walked into the home, he wanted to see how spoiled the brat was, so he checked the frames hoping to catch Lily’s’ eyes. Not seeing any, he passed it on as not having in the room. But finally, the words Petunia caught up to him; words like ‘ _ freaks _ ’ and  _ ’your kind’ _ popped up when she ranted. Severus hated to start drawing negative ideas of how the boy has had to live.  _ ‘Dumbledore said he was being pampered and treated well!’ _

        He knew he should have been paying more attention to the whale of a man, but he could help himself when the man had such a gravelly tone. “BOY?!” The bellow ended up with Tuney knocking into him, he was disgusted at how she used him to catch herself because she couldn’t control her husband.

        Everything in him seemed to freeze as a small child crawled out of a boot cupboard under the stairs, shoulders and head down as if he was about to get sent to his execution. When reaching the room, the boy, it could only be the Potter boy, looked up in the direction of his uncles face but turned body to him and made semi-eye contact.  _ ‘Lily’s’ eyes,’ _ that’s all he could think when he stared at the boy. They were hazy looking and out of focus, but he didn’t care. They were Lily’s’ eyes.

        The details and facts falling into place, with the abuse and clear neglect shown through the child’s body. Grabbing his wand at the speed of an accomplished duelist, Severus stunned to oaf and ignored the begging of his wife and turned his wand on her. He never did like her.

        Bending his knees so he’s level with the child, he approached cautiously. He knew abused children had to be treated carefully- he had a few over the years come to Slytherin-, not to spook them or make them not trust you .

“Child?” he knew the wench of a woman could hear the uncertainty that dripped out with the question, but he forgoes it to gain the trust of his lost friends’ child. “I am guessing you are Mr. Potter, then,” not much for stating the obvious he moves on, ignoring how the child wasn’t meeting his eyes but was starring over Severus’ right shoulder. “I am Professor Snape at Hogwarts; I am the head of house for Slytherins and am the potions teacher for all the students. I was sent here after we received your letter stating you couldn’t make it to the train.” Severus paused to collect his thoughts not knowing how to really talk to the boy.

“Do you have your school belongings… and do you have any questions?” The last part added in lamely, him not knowing if the boy knew much about their world.

He could see the boy struggling to answer, seeming too shy and withdrawn to want to ask, afraid of reprimand. Finally, after what Severus could think to be an internal debate, Harry opened his mouth, “I wasn’t able to get any of the things on the list, I was only able to know what was on the letter after a month it was sent.” His voice was so soft that Severus could practically see the uncertainty surrounding the young boy.

After the boy opened his mouth and shut it again, Severus rose and cast a tempus to check the time. “That is fine, we can get some now and leave again tomorrow to get the rest.” He watched still as the boy didn’t move from the doorway and continued on, “Come along, Mr. Potter. We have places to go so we can get you your Hogwarts things.”

Severus grabbed the boys hand gently and puller him from the awful household. Shutting the door behind them, not wanting to draw any more attention to them than necessary. Turning towards the boy once again when he could feel the tension in the small body escalate. “What is wrong, Mr. Pot- “

The boys’ interruption didn’t shock him as much as the what the boy said. Dread and astonishment filled the potions master. _‘Well this is going to be an interesting year.’_


	3. Chapter 3

        It was a great disadvantage brought to him by too many frying pans to the head. It had happened when he was ten and trying to cook for his relatives. By then, his vision was blurry enough to have to squint but not enough to let him see shapes. He ended up burning the bacon too much that morning, his Aunt Petunia had gotten angry at him and took the freshly hot pan and hit him with it. Even with his ducking and arm coverage, she had still hit him straight in the back of the head.

        When he first woke up after the incident, all he saw was black. Harry didn’t quite understand why his cupboard was so dark, even in the middle of the dark some light shone through the doors cracks. It wasn’t until he had exited his small room that he had known something was wrong. He heard cars passing the house indicating it to be evening, he should have been able to see the lights shining from the windows. The blackness stayed with him the rest of the day, causing him to build up a hysteric. By the time his relatives got home, the panic was thickly fogging up his brain that he hadn’t release he spoke, “I can’t see. Why can’t I see?”

        Harry knew it had to have come out eventually, preferring it now than at the school or shopping for supplies. Although, he had not liked it being forced out in a panic when he left the house for the first time since the incident.

        “I’m blind.”

        He knew he couldn’t see the reactions of his- hopefully still- professor, but he felt as the man was heavy with shock and awe. Harry thought that the man wouldn’t feel too much about his predicament, hoping that there have been others like him who have had a disfunction that disfigured their learning in some way.

        Harry felt the man crouch in front of him, his clothes rustling with the movement. When the man finally spoke, Harry could feel his exhale on his face, “May I check your eyes, Mr. Potter? I want to see if any of the damage could be reversed.”

        “How do you check, sir?” Harry didn’t want to get his hopes up, he had been living like this for almost a year now, and he knew he could live with the blackness if he had to.

        There was rustling again, more purposeful as if the professor was moving them out of the way. “I have a wand that I can use to check you for damage. It will tell me where you are hurt, how badly, and if it can be treated.” There was a stick dropped into his left hand where the man had grabbed it moments ago. “This will help me help you, Mr. Potter.”

        Harry could only answer with a meek, “Okay,” before handing back the wand.

        The professor didn’t get up from his crouched position and only lifted his right arm in the air. Harry couldn’t make out the movements, the motions too fast and calculated to keep up. Even without keeping track, Harry could feel when the spell was finally cast; there was a force pushing towards his face. It wasn’t unpleasant, but it held thick like fog making him want to push it away. It stayed there for minutes, Harry refusing to move so not to disturb the potioneer.

        The sound of paper appeared near where Harry was sure where the man was, he tried to hold in the small flinch of surprise but knew he didn’t succeed fully. As fast as the paper came the professor had it in his hand. It seemed to Harry as if he was reading it, crinkling of paper could be heard as though he was moving down a list.

        “I’m sorry to inform you, Mr. Potter, but there doesn’t seem to be any remedy as of now that could help with your blindness,” Harry heard the regret in the elders’ voice, no matter how much he had tried to be stoic, the emotion just bled through.

        He tried not to be disappointed. He knew even after learning about magic that he would continue to be blind; it didn’t help the small ball of hope being crushed any more. All the things Harry loved to do before his world was enveloped into darkness were lost, such as drawing or reading. He now hoped that he would be able to continue to go to Hogwarts, hoped that he was still able to learn with his disability.

        No matter how hard he tried to hide his pain, it still seeped into his response,” It’s all right, sir, thank you.”

        Severus could see the pain and sorrow fill the boys’ eyes when he told him the results. He felt for the boy, never would he dream of not being able to see. But what got to him the most was the child’s answer. He was so polite even when he looked like he all he wanted to do was cry or hit something. The urge to give him a hug grew by the second, emerald eyes stared unfocused over his shoulder, neither dry.

        All Severus wanted to do was cry with him, he had failed his best friends. Not protecting her precious son and believing Dumbledore when he said the boy was getting spoiled. The son of his sister, in all but blood, was hurting because he never cared to check on him. Never asked about him or made it his mission to get to know him.

        He had failed his best friend, but even more her son.

        Straightening up, Severus drew his composer not wanting others to see him grief stricken. “Come along, Mr. Potter. We still have things to do.”

        Grabbing the boys’ small hands and gently pulled him towards the gate, ignoring the tenseness of the boys’ shoulders. He was hoping Harry was tense for leaving the house and not the touching, if the latter Severus would have to turn back to the muggles he left stupefied. He continues to drag the child to the end of the street where the road ended, and trees began to thicken. It was no use for muggles to see them disappear and cause him to obliviate them.

        Coming to a stop a good distance from the populated area, Severus turned to the young child. “You must hold on the me tightly, don’t let go until we land. It would be better if we side apparated instead of taking the knight bus, wizards would be gawking like mad.”

        It didn’t occur to the dower man until Harry asked what apparition was, that Harry would be completely ignorant to the wizarding world. After explaining what the transportation was, Severus made up his mind of beginning to explain everything in the wizarding world to the child after they’re done shopping for the night.  It would be awful to overload the child with all the information in one night, but worse if he heard it from an outside source later.

        Not looking back at the forest, they were leaving behind, Severus tightened his hold on Harry and apparated them to Diagon Alley.


End file.
